Printing system for three-dimensional objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016176115-A1
Application number	US-201414910264-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 26, 2014
Priority date	Aug 8, 2013
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A printing system for three-dimensional objects has a control unit for storing and executing a robot program and an industrial robot which is controlled by the control unit and which has an arm with several members, wherein the tip of the arm is movable along a predetermined movement path according to path data of the robot program. A printing unit is mounted on the tip of the robot arm and is controlled by the control unit, which has at least one print nozzle for applying pointwise a respective portion of a print material at respective coordinates according to object data of the robot program.

First claim

1 . A printing system for three-dimensional objects, the system comprising:
a control unit configured to store and execute a robot program; an industrial robot which is controlled by the control unit, the industrial robot including an arm including a plurality of members,. the arm including a tip which is movable along a predetermined movement path according to path data of the robot program; a printing unit mounted on the tip of the arm, and controlled by the control unit, the printing unit including a print nozzle configured to apply pointwise a respective portion of a print material at respective coordinates according to object data of the robot program; and an anticipatory determination unit, configured for anticipatory determination of a real actual position of the print nozzle, wherein the system is configured to suppress an application of a respective portion of print material if a difference between a anticipatory determined real actual position of the print nozzle and a respective coordinate according to the object data of the robot program exceeds a certain limit.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the industrial robot is a paint robot with a high accuracy along an entire movement path.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the industrial robot comprises includes at least six members with six degrees of freedom in movement.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the anticipatory determination unit includes an acceleration sensor, resolver, encoder, laser interferometers, or combination of two or more of any of these, for a respective axis of the robot,
wherein one or more respective measurement values from the anticipatory determination unite are provideable to the control unit, and
wherein the control unit is configured to anticipatorily derive the real actual position of the print nozzle from the respective measurement values.

5 . The system of claim 1 , configured to apply a respective portion of print material only once per respective coordinate according to the object data of the robot program.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configure to adapt the predetermined movement path such that, that in case of not having applied a portion of print material due to a deviation of a respective real actual position from a respective desired position according to the predetermined movement path, the respective coordinate for applying the respective portion of the print material is approached again by the print nozzle.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the printing unit includes several individual controllable print nozzles configured to independently apply pointwise a respective portion of a print material.

8 . The system of claim 1 configured to apply the respective portions of print material layer-wise.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined movement path is meander-like.

10 . Printing The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined movement path is determined such that only one robot member from the plurality is subject to an active movement while applying the respective portions of print material at respective coordinates according to the object data of the robot program.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the industrial robot is a paint robot.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the printing unit includes more than one print nozzle.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined movement path determined such that the tip of the arm is not subject to an acceleration while applying the respective portions of print material at respective coordinates according to the object data of the robot program.

14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined movement path determined such that the tip of the arm is not subject to an acceleration while applying the respective portions of print material at respective coordinates according to the object data of the robot program.

Assignees

• Abb Technology Ag

Inventors

• Becker Oliver

Classifications

• B25J9/1679

  characterised by the tasks executed · CPC title

• G05B19/4099

  Surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing · CPC title

• G05B2219/45083

  Manipulators, robot · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29L2031/00

  Other particular articles · CPC title